Sickness
by aquos
Summary: When supernatural sickness sweeps the Halliwell Manor, will Piper be able to find a cure? FINAL CHAPTER!
1. Prologue

Night's soft blanket was wrapped around San Francisco, surrounding it in a  
  
soft muffler of warmth. The roads were empty, and the only light came from  
  
the moon, a gold orb hanging from a sky carpeted with stars. All was peaceful  
  
in the Manor. But the peace was about to be disrupted (AN-cringe! Oh, that  
  
was so cliché! Eek! Anyway, continue). The handle of the door twisted, and it  
  
slowly creaked open. A small dark shadow flew noiselessly inside; it's wings  
  
making not a sound in the warm still air. It drifted upwards like a puff of  
  
smoke, over the stairs and into the rooms of the sleeping inhabitants. The first  
  
room held a blondish woman, and demon. The creature could tell from the  
  
scent; a combination of charcoal and blood. No human would ever smell or  
  
notice it.  
  
It landed noiselessly on the bed, barely ruffling the sheets. Slithering forward  
  
on its two legs, it slid over to the women's face. Taking a deep breath, it blew a  
  
yellow fog into her face. She breathed it in without a twitch. Satisfied, it  
  
flapped over to the demon, and did the same. He coughed in his sleep and  
  
rolled over, but nothing more. The creature lifted into the air and flew out.  
  
Circling uncertainty, it dived into another room. It was covered with white,  
  
rectangular rock, and smelled of strange chemicals. The creature sneezed and  
  
flew out, and into the next room. There was only one in this room, a pale  
  
woman. The creature landed close to her face, and blew the yellow fog into her  
  
mouth. She muttered something in her sleep and kicked, but did not wake. It  
  
fell of the bed, managing to just catch itself in flight before landing on the hard  
  
wood. It flew into a clothing cupboard before it reached the last room.  
  
A man was snoring loudly beside a small dark haired female. The creature flew  
  
over to the male, and breathed in his face. He snored even louder. The creature  
  
was about to lift off when the women muttered "Aw, for Pete's sake!" The  
  
creature leapt of the man and onto the floor just as the woman sat up and turned  
  
the man roughly on his side. He stopped snoring. "Much better." the woman  
  
sighed gratefully. The creature hissed angrily under its breath. The sun would  
  
rise soon. It wouldn't have a chance to taint the woman. It slithered across the  
  
floor, stopping only when a scale got caught in a splinter on the door. In its fury  
  
it wrenched it out of the socket. Grumbling, it flew into the air. It soared down  
  
over the stairs and out of the front door, pulling it shut behind it with a long  
  
whip-like tail. The small yellow scale twinkled in the early dawn light. 


	2. First Signs

Wow, Five reviews. Thank you! I'm so happy.Oh, almost forgot.  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Charmed. If I did, there'd be way more mythological creatures in it.  
  
Star Light15- thanks. I'm so happy! You're so nice.  
  
Charmed Leo-Coming from a great writer like you, that's a REALLY big complement.  
  
Lady Piper1- Thanks. I really like your Enchanted ones story; My computer stuffed before I could review (ARGH!!! Useless computer! *bashes head against the screen*)  
  
Sci fi fan- Glad you like the start. See Mr Sadler, I can write stories with a good start, HAH!! Hey, just ignore me, to much sugar today..  
  
Megaroony- Here's your update!!!  
  
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When Piper woke up, Leo was not beside her. With a groan she rolled over and  
  
looked at the clock. 9:27. With a sigh she sat up. Her workday didn't usually start till  
  
twelve, so she had plenty of time. But she still had to clean up the house. Demon  
  
attacks had reduced the living room to rubble. But she wanted coffee first. As she  
  
swung her legs around, a glimmer caught her eye. Frowning, she got up and walked  
  
over to the door. Embedded in a splinter was a tiny yellow oval, smaller than her  
  
fingernail. She pinched the end and wrenched it from the door. She stood up,  
  
inspecting it. It looked like a scale of some sort, coloured a sort of sick yellow. Piper  
  
shrugged and put it on her bedside table. Maybe Leo would know what it was.  
  
Grabbing her purple dressing gown, she swung it on and walked out onto the main  
  
landing. Phoebe and Cole's door was open, and the room was empty. She walked to  
  
Paige's room and peeked around the half-closed door. Paige was still asleep, her  
  
sheets a tangled mess. Piper walked over to her and shook her shoulder. "Paige.  
  
Paige!" Page woke with a start "Huh? Wha? What's the time?" she looked at her  
  
alarm clock. "Yah! I'm late!" she scrambled out of bed. Piper left the room, shaking  
  
her head in exasperation. Paige had woken up late for the last three days.  
  
Piper walked down the stairs, listening for Leo's voice. The only voices were Phoebe  
  
and Cole. Her heart sank. Leo wasn't around much anymore, but if he had good  
  
reason, then she couldn't stop him going somewhere. But still.  
  
When she entered the kitchen, Phoebe and Cole were at the table. Phoebe was eating a  
  
toasted bagel. Cole was reading the paper. "Hey Piper" said Phoebe, her mouth full of  
  
Bagel. "Hi Pheebs. Hi Cole" Cole grunted from behind his paper. "What's wrong with  
  
you?" she asked, annoyed by the reply. Cole closed and folded the newspaper "I've  
  
got a bit of a stomach ache. Must've been that steak I had yesterday at the restaurant,  
  
huh Phoebe?"  
  
"Hey, it was nicer when I went there last time!" she answered defensively. Cole  
  
snorted and got up. "I'm going to see what's going on in the Underworld. Be back  
  
soon." He kissed Phoebe on the cheek and shimmered away. A loud thumping came  
  
from the stairs, and Paige charged in.  
  
"Has anyone seen my keys!?!" she asked, looking around in panic. "No, I haven't-"  
  
started Piper, but Paige interrupted. "Oh, I'm so stupid. KEYS!!" she yelled, holding  
  
out her hand. Blue and white light pooled in her hands, and the keys emerged out of  
  
them. She shoved them in her pocket and grabbed Phoebe's half finished bagel.  
  
"Sorry, gotta go, See you tonight!" she yelled, rushing out of the door. Phoebe pulled  
  
a face at her empty plate, and grabbed an apple.  
  
"What are you doing today?" asked Piper, searching in the fridge for milk. Phoebe  
  
shrugged and bit into the apple. "I was thinking along the lines of shopping spree."  
  
She answered thickly, her voice muffled by the apple. "Huh. When you do, can you  
  
get some more milk? We're running short." said Piper, pouring the last of the milk  
  
into her coffee. Phoebe nodded and left for her room. Piper sipped her coffee and sat  
  
in Cole's seat, reaching for the paper. * * * Paige turned the wheel sharply, just missing the blue Holden in front of her. Out of  
  
the corner of her eye, she saw the driver, an old man wearing glasses with rims thicker  
  
than her finger, signal very rudely at her. She honked the horn in reply. She knew she  
  
was being rude, but she was in a very bad mood. She had woken up half an hour later  
  
than she should have, plus when she had, she had a sore throat and a headache. It  
  
sounded like the start of a bad day. She winced as another car honk sounded behind  
  
her, making her already thumping headache bang even worse. She changed gear and  
  
stopped behind a build-up in the traffic, drumming her fingers on the wheel. The car  
  
in front of her suddenly blurred as her sight wobbled before coming into focus again,  
  
she shook her aching head; her head-ache was obviously worse than she thought. She  
  
fanned herself and looked in the rear view mirror; she was flushed. She frowned at her  
  
red cheeks; she didn't usually get flushed, even when she was hot. Maybe she should  
  
go home. She flicked her left blinker on as the traffic moved forward and did a U-  
  
turn.  
  
Phoebe pushed through the crowd that surrounded the shop. Her sore throat and sniffy  
  
nose were getting progressively worse, and she was beginning to get a headache. She  
  
sniffed as she passed by the shop she had originally been aiming for. Now she didn't  
  
really feel like shopping. She just wanted to go home and sleep. Although she had had  
  
a full night of sleep, she was starting to feel tired. It's probably a cold, she thought to  
  
herself as she walked out into the car park of the shopping centre. She took out a  
  
handkerchief and blew her nose as she unlocked Pipers car.  
  
Piper had just finished putting all the bits of what was once a rug in a pile when the  
  
front door slammed. She looked up in surprise as Paige walked past, coughing. "What  
  
are you doing home?!" asked Piper incredulously. Paige turned around, and Piper saw  
  
that she was flushed. "I had a really bad headache, and now I'm shivering even  
  
though I'm hot." She held out her hands, and Piper saw them trembling. "Maybe you  
  
should go to bed; it sounds like a fever. When Leo comes back he can look at you."  
  
Paige nodded and staggered upstairs. Piper was about to go back into the living room  
  
when she heard a car drive up. She frowned and looked out the window. Phoebe had  
  
just driven up in her car. She opened the door for Phoebe, surprising her." That was a  
  
short shopping trip." She commented with raised eyebrows. Phoebe sniffed and  
  
grinned sheepishly. "I was feeling sick." Piper shut the door and stared at her. "You  
  
seemed perfectly alright this morning!" she said irately. Phoebe shrugged and blew  
  
her nose on a crumpled handkerchief. "Yeah, but that was this morning. I think I'm  
  
getting a cold." Piper was about to agree when Cole shimmered in next to her. She  
  
turned, then stopped. Cole looked dreadful. His skin was an unhealthy yellow, and his  
  
eyes were over bright. Phoebe rushed over to him, very worried. "What happened?!  
  
Did you get hit by an energy ball?" she asked, anxiously checking him for burns. Cole  
  
waved her away and sank onto the bottom stair. "I wasn't feeling to well." he  
  
started, then grimaced, clutching his stomach. Piper stared at him in disbelief. "What  
  
is this, The plague!?" she practically yelled. As if answering her, the sounds of Paige  
  
throwing up floated down from upstairs. "I think I'd better stay home today too." She  
  
remarked. 


	3. Conditions Worsen

Piper went and grabbed a thermometer while Phoebe helped Cole up the stairs and  
  
towards there room. She knocked on Paige's door, and peeked around the edge.  
  
"Feeling any better?" She asked gently. Paige was on the bed, still looking flushed,  
  
but with a hint of green to her skin. "No," she said weakly "I think I'm going to throw  
  
up again." He breathing began to speed up. She leapt out of bed and raced past Piper,  
  
banging into the door in the process, and into the bathroom. The sounds of her  
  
violently throwing up came from inside the door. Piper winced sympathetically and  
  
went into the bathroom. Paige was leaning over the toilet bowl, retching and heaving.  
  
Piper patted her on the back, starting to feel slightly sick herself. Paige finally finished  
  
and leaned against the wall of the bathroom, before sliding down to the floor. Piper  
  
got her a glass of water from the tape and shoved it under her mouth. Paige grasped it  
  
in a limp hand and slowly drank it. Piper looked around and retrieved the  
  
thermometer from where she had dropped it on the floor. She measured Paige's  
  
temperature, looking at her watch with an air of great apprehension. When she figured  
  
it was long enough, about 3 minutes, she removed the thermometer. 104°F. That was  
  
five degrees higher than normal. Bad. Very bad. She tossed the thermometer onto the  
  
basin and bent to help Paige up. But she had fallen asleep. "Oh, great." grumbled  
  
Piper, shaking Paige awake for the second time that day. "Come on, up! Go to sleep  
  
when you're in bed." Paige opened her eyes and tried to struggle to her feet, but just  
  
fell to the floor again. Piper put Paige's arm over her shoulder. With a heave, she  
  
staggered to her feet, and half dragged Paige to her room. She dumped Paige on her  
  
bed, where she promptly fell asleep. Piper scowled at her sleeping form rubbing her  
  
now sore back. She suddenly cocked head. She heard the sounds of Cole throwing up  
  
from Phoebe's room. She hurried towards their room, hoping Cole hadn't made too  
  
much of a mess. She walked into the room, prepared for a mess. Cole was bent over,  
  
throwing up into a red bucket. She breathed a sigh of relief. Much as she liked Cole,  
  
she didn't think she would enjoy clearing up his vomit. Phoebe was beside him,  
  
coughing into a handkerchief and patting him on the back. Piper grimaced.  
  
"Ick, not another one." She groaned, sitting down on the bed. Phoebe laughed, but it  
  
turned into a hacking cough. Piper glanced at her worriedly. She looked paler than  
  
usual, but that might just have been the mess Cole was making. Cole looked up from  
  
the bucket, still looking yellow. "Ha ha. You're so sympathetic" he said sarcastically,  
  
then turned Pale and leaned forward again. Piper pulled a face at the sounds he made,  
  
then got up and left for the kitchen.  
  
***The rest of the day was spent trying to make Paige drink as much as possible.  
  
Piper had remembered Grams always giving her litres of water to drink when she had  
  
had a fever. However, after the first five glasses, Paige began to refuse. Piper  
  
explained to her at least seven times, but the fever had made her grumpy, and Piper  
  
was on the verge of forcing it down her throat. She tried to call Leo several times, but  
  
he never answered. By six in the evening she was getting worried, but tried not to  
  
show it. She began preparing dinner for her and Phoebe. She doubted that Cole or  
  
Paige would keep it down. She was just stirring the vegetables when she heard a  
  
sound behind her. She turned quickly, to see Leo orb in. She blinked- was he slower  
  
than usual?- then shook it off and embraced her husband. He looked tired. "Sorry I  
  
didn't come. One of my charges had an infestation of Fire Goblins. We had to make  
  
sure there were none left, or they'd set her house on fire." He groaned as he settled  
  
into a chair. "How was your day?" he asked when he got comfortable. Piper shrugged  
  
"Oh, not much. Just that Cole and Paige are throwing up and Phoebe is just about  
  
coughing her lungs out. No biggy" she said sarcastically, folding her arms and raising  
  
an eyebrow. Leo frowned, puzzled. "Hmmm..strange. I'll go check on them." He  
  
turned and disappeared out of the room. Piper sighed, then turned to see the  
  
vegetables burning.  
  
Leo placed a hand on Paige's forehead frowning at the heat he felt. Closing his eyes,  
  
he let his magic seep out of his hand and it settled as a golden glow in Paige's body.  
  
He was about to heal her, when his magic crashed into a wall. He frowned deeper and  
  
prodded it with his magic, but couldn't get past it. He sighed and pulled his magic out.  
  
Paige's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were over bright with the fever and her face was  
  
red. "When didn't you heal me?" she asked voice thick. Leo checked her pulse as he  
  
answered. "I couldn't. Something was blocking me. It might be that I'm tired  
  
though." He shook his head in bewilderment. He didn't really believe this, but it was  
  
the only explanation he could think of as to why he couldn't heal her. Her pulse was  
  
fast and shallow; Her temperature was much to high. And vomiting was not usually  
  
part of a fever. He was very worried that this was the beginning of something more  
  
serious, but he had no way to tell. He sighed and stood up. "Get some rest" he  
  
advised. Paige snorted in disgust. "All I've done all day is rest." She said grumpily,  
  
but she closed her eyes anyway. Leo walked into the hallway and bumped into  
  
Phoebe. She was dead white, with a blue tinge around her lips. "Leo?" she whispered,  
  
before collapsing onto the ground.  
  
**************************************************************************** Sorry about the space between chapters. I just started school, so I don't have much Time. Trust me, This story been banging around my head for ages! I'll try to post as soon as possible. Sorry about the short Chapter. The next one gets really bad. Oh, and forgive the artistic license. People don't usually faint from Pneumonia.  
  
Oops. 


	4. Identification of Disease

Mwahahahahaha!!!! I'm back, and writing!

Oh, and I meant _poetic _license. Sorry, for all those arty people who got offended.

Leo fell to the ground next to Phoebe and _forced _his magic into her body. His magic hit a wall like it had in Paige, a solid mass of foreign magic. He battered at the wall, blue light flaring around both himself and Phoebe. He could feel her heart beating like it was his own, and felt the blood rushing through her veins. But his magic could not reach the sickness that was deeply rooted in her lungs. Phoebe's body couldn't take so much magic and began to twitch. Withdrawing his magic quickly, He staggered and nearly collapsed next to his charge. He stayed on his knees, gasping for some time.

"Piper." He called, voice weak. No answer. "Piper!" He yelled. A clatter in the kitchen and Piper stormed up the stairs, looking as though she was about to murder someone. She stopped dead when she saw them. "Oh my God! Phoebe! Leo what happened?!" She rushed over and knelt beside her sister. Leo lurched to his feet. "I tell you in a second. Just help me carry her to a bed." Together they managed to heave her into their room and place her on the bed. Phoebe stirred when she hit the mattress. "...huh?... Was I always here? Wait...This isn't my room." She muttered, looking around, confused. She was trembling. Piper leant over her, worry in every line of her face. Leo collapsed into a chair. Phoebe looked up at her, her eyes far too bright. "Piper? Why am I in your room?"

"Err..."

"Just Lie here for a bit, Phoebe" Said Leo tiredly. Phoeb muddled and fell asleep. Piper shook her head and went over to her husband

"What's wrong with her? Did you heal her?". Leo shook his head in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with her, or Paige, _or _Cole. I can't heal any off them. There's something blocking my magic. I can't get around it."

"How hard have you tried?" asked Piper coldly. She knew she was being sharp, but she was so worried she couldn't care less. Leo looked up at her, slightly hurt at her tone. "I nearly collapsed trying to heal her. She's got Pneumonia."

"What!? When'd she get that?" Piper stared at him, horrified. She started towards the door. "I'm calling an ambulance."

"No, Piper. It won't help. The disease is magical." Piper turned back to look at him, feeling helpless. "Then what do we do?" she asked him, nearly pleading. She couldn't stand this. Paige was throwing up everything she had ever eaten next door, Cole was turning increasingly disturbing shades of yellow and Phoebe had pneumonia. Leo sighed, and stood up. "Look in the book of shadows for magical illnesses. I'll go and talk to one of the whitelighters. He said something about magical illness a while ago. He might know what this is." Leo orbed out, and Piper could have sworn he was slower than usual.

Piper checked on the other "Patients" before going to check the Book of Shadows. Paige was sleeping, still flushed, though now there was a white area around her mouth. Cole was awake. When she asked him how he felt, he said, "Like I've been injected with a bone melting potion." Piper exited quickly. He was looking grumpy. She headed up to the book of shadows, but was too tired to go through a little less than half the book. The only magical disease that might have matched only matched Paige's symptoms.

Piper peeked round the doors of her friends, making sure nothing terrible was happening. Phoebe was sleeping, though her breathing was shallow. Piper tucked her in and left her there. Cole had fallen asleep too, and Paige hadn't even twitched since the last time she had looked. Piper sighed, then went to grab a cushion and a quilt, and headed for the last available sleeping place. The sofa. She resigned herself to a long and uncomfortable night.

Piper awoke, not knowing where she was. Then she remembered. Groaning, she rolled off the sofa (onto the hard floor), and went to see how everyone had coped in the night. Cole was looking yellow and holding his head when Piper looked round the door. "How are you feeling?" She asked, a little apprehensive. He had been crabby since the previous day. He looked up and winced. "My head and bones hurt." He moaned. This rather pitiful display made Piper even more anxious. Not much could make a demon like Cole moan like that. She promised to make him a pain-easing potion, then went to check on Paige. Very bad. She was awake, and looking at her skin in a sort of surprised horror. She was covered in a rash of small red spots. "My skin has gone all weird." Paige informed Piper, sounding slightly panicked. "And it hurts when I move. Why can't Leo heal me?" Piper sat on the bed next to her, taking a deep breath. "Leo says the illness is magical, and it blocks his magic. His gone to ask one of his whitelighter friends about it. Paige didn't look much happier. She scratched her leg absently then realized what she was doing and pulled her hand away sharply. Paige yawned as Piper got up to leave, and Piper did a double take.

"Hey, stick out your tonuge"

"Why?"

"Just show me." Paige stuck out her tongue. It had the color and texture of a strawberry. Piper winced, then told her to rest, leaving Paige to rush to the mirror. Piper went to see Phoebe, slightly apprehensive. She was still sleeping, though her lips looked less blue. Piper sighed, happy that someone looked better, then noticed something yellow glitter in the sun. Frowning, she went and looked. It was the little scale she had found yesterday. And forgotten about. Piper picked it up, then hurried upstairs.

It took awhile to find the thing the scale belonged to. It wasn't a dragon. Their scales had little hooks at the end (according to the book. Piper hadn't seen one since they were relatively extinct now). And it wasn't any type of demon. Then, on the third last entry in the Book of Shadows, She found it.

_Wyverns_. There was a picture of what looked like a legless dragon.

Wyverns are a rare breed of creature, not being dragon nor snake. It is believed they were created as a hybrid between dragons and some unknown creature that has become extinct.

_Wyverns are very dangerous for two reasons. One, they are very hostile and will kill anything that annoys them. Two, as fledglings, the young have the ability to spread disease as a protection mechanism. They spread it by a yellow fog that comes from the mouth, much like flame from a dragon. This disease, in non-magic creatures, simply speeds up a disease that was already there. But in magic creatures the effects can be devastating. The disease is simply a random choosing and is firmly rooted. Whitelighters/darklighters or potions cannot heal it. In whitelighters/darklighters the diseases manifests itself as a sort of magical leech that drains their power to a minimum, where they in turn are infected by sickness. The only known cure is a potion with the following ingredients: _

_A tooth from the Wyvern that caused the disease _

_Onyx_

_Mandragora root_

_Note- Wyverns, if hatched from the egg, can be trained as pets until they reach adolescence, when they tend to resent your authority and leave home._

Piper stared at the page. They were in very big trouble.

Finished that chapter! If I don't get reviews I won't keep going. Well, I probably will, but what the hell. Idle threats are fun.


	5. Treatment

Okay, what chapter is this now? Five rightio- And by the way, thanks for so many reviews. I was feeling unloved at first, then they came rushing in!

Piper paced in the kitchen, occasionally calling for Leo. He wasn't answering. She fidgeted nervously for a while, then decided she might as well work out what Paige and Cole actually had. She rustled through her grandmothers old dusty medical dictionary (A/N- I Love mine!). It didn't take long to work out what Cole had. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised when she found the page.

_Yellow Fever _(Yes, you were right, son gomay vidal goku. you can be smug now)

Yellow fever is a virus infection transmitted to humans from the bite of a mosquito. The yellow Fever virus often damages many body tissues, such as the brain and heart, but especially the liver. As a result of the liver damage, yellow bile pigments gather in the skin, giving the disease it's name.

Symptons are:

High Fever

Severe headache

Bone Pains

Mild Confusion.

Yellow skin

Bleeding from gums and stomach lining

Most people recover from this stage. Others, however, become delirious and fall into a coma. Only 2-5% of cases result in death.

Piper realized her hands were clutching the book in a vice like grip. She breathed deeply, then began looking for whatever it was that Paige had. Remembering her Fever, she checked under F. Then something from her memory whispered, then faded just as quickly. She scowled. What was it? She knew this. Then she remembered. She flicked through the book, her spine shivering in fear.

_Scarlet Fever_. Now she remembered. It was in Little Women. She flipped through most of the paragraph, down to the symptoms:

Sudden Fever and sore throat.

Vomiting, diarrhea

Severe headache

A fine rash

Tongue coated with small, red spots.

Scarlet fever is not very serious, but can develop into the more dangerous rheumatic fever.

Rheumatic Fever

Symptoms:

Swelling in Joints

Tonsillitis

Chorea (A/N- Inflammation of the brain)

Abdominal Pains

Attack on the nervous system.

It took Piper a long time to read through all the possible coincidences. The worst was death through a coma (A/N- I think. I got a bit confused with all the dame footnotes. If not, I'll just use poetic license). Just as bad was permanent nerve and brain damage. Piper was wondering which was worse. Paige dead or as a vegetable (A/N (again)- Sorry to anyone I just offended.). Piper was mulling this over when Leo finally orbed in. This time Piper knew he was slower. It took nearly a minute before all the tiny blue sparkles came together. When he became opaque, he was looking ill. Piper, I-". He swayed and nearly fell. Piper grabbed him and helped him to a chair. He sank into the chair gratefully and looked up, and Piper saw fear in his eyes.

"I asked my friend what he thought. He said it was a wyvren... Wyvern?"

"Wyvern." Said Piper flatly. Leo looked at her, surprised. Piper sighed and explained what she had found in the Book of Shadows. And the medical dictionary. Leo went pale. "We're in trouble." He said, sounding slightly hysterical. Piper saw the sweat on his forehead and nearly cried. She couldn't cope with all these sick people. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. _Calm down and think!_ She ordered herself. After a minutes thought she came up with at least some kind of idea. "We'll move everyone in here. It'll be easier to look after them. Then we'll tell them what's happening. Maybe someone will think of something."

Cole managed to get downstairs himself, though his bones creaked and ached like an old tooth. He collapsed on the camp bed that Leo set up gratefully, watching Piper push a mattress down the stairs. Paige orbed herself into the room, though swayed dizzily when she appeared, and would have thrown up again, had there been something to vomit. Phoebe had to be woken and helped down the stairs. When everyone was assembled the situation was explained. They took it quite well.

"Oh, great. So this gets worse. Now all I've got to look forward to is Chorea and a coma."

"Yellow Fever? I'm a demon, I don't get yellow fever."

"What _is _Chorea?"

"Yellow Fever?"

"Guys!" Phoebe croaked, then began to cough. The coughs were high and weak, but they made her whole body shake. Leo went for water and Cole patted her anxiously on the back. Leo hurried back and thrust the water into her hands. She drank, and the coughs gradually faded.

The silence pressed down on them, and the weight of the situation fell upon them. More specifically, it fell on Piper, the only one who wasn't sick. Piper waited apprehensively for one of them to voice it. She didn't have to wait long.

"Hang on," said Cole suddenly. Piper braced herself for a question she couldn't answer "Why isn't Piper sick?" They all looked at her, and she could feel their resentment as if it was a living thing, coiling around her like a snake. "I don't know," she said steadily, though she was anything but. "Maybe it just...missed me?" she suggested half-heartedly.

"I got sick and I'm in the same room as you." Said Leo, rather guiltily, as though he felt he was betraying her. Cole opened his mouth to speak, but Paige cut in. "Look, it doesn't matter why Piper isn't sick. We need to find this stupid...whatever it is and get a tooth."

"It's a Wyvern. And it won't be easy, getting a tooth. Wyverns are smart. Some of them hire themselves out as assassins, so maybe this one was hired to knock us off." Said Cole grimly.

"Wouldn't be the first time" Phoebe quipped, then coughed.

"We're would it go though? The Underworld?"

"If it's an assassin, then yes." Said Cole, biting his lip as he thought. "It would probably be in the Fire Wave sector, most of the assassins hang out there." An idea suddenly occurred to Phoebe.

"Scry for it." She said carefully, fully aware that her aching throat would rebel against it's use. It did. She spluttered, and emptied the cup, trying vainly to sooth the biting scratch at the back of her esophagus. Leo frowned "But we don't have any maps of the underworld. I doubt if there even _is _a map for that place."

"I could try and draw one" suggested Cole. It was decided that this was the best course of action (A/N- and I was sick of dialogue). It didn't take long for Cole to draw the map, and Paige scryed while Cole, Phoebe and Leo rested. Piper set about finding some Mandragora root and onyx.

"Score!" said Paige excitedly as the crystal attached itself to part of Cole's map. Piper came from the kitchen as the rest gathered around.

"Guess you were wrong, Cole" said Paige slyly. The crystal was firmly attached to a small cave in Cole's map, labelled _Wildray's Hollow._

"Wildray. As always, I should have known. He keeps all sorts of weird pets."

"I'm betting that one of them is a Wyvern." said Piper grimly.

This is where the ad break would be if this was on the show. Sorry if the chapter's boring, It's one of those 'fill in' chapters. Come on and review, people!


	6. Getting the treatment

Disclaimer- I do not own anything to do with charmed, though the wyvern is sort of mine. Wyverns are real things, so it's not an original idea., Well there not real things, but you know what I mean.

Piper mashed the mandragora root, which looked like a pussy orange lemon, and the onyx together. It made a disgusting coloured green gray paste. She listened intently as Cole relayed what he knew of Wildray.

"Wildrays a pretty high level demon. I mean last time a he fought a witch he turned her into goo- I mean, he beat the last witch he fought. He's got energy balls, not to mention the whole earwax thing..."

"Earwax?" said Piper, voice cracking slightly. Cole grinned rather slyly. "Yeah, what he does is-"

"Found a vanquishing potion!" said Phoebe, sounding blocked up. She sneezed wetly into a handkerchief. Sniffing richly, she showed it to them.

"Not very complicated. Just a bit of egg, chilli, bacon, and rat eyes."

"Sound's more like an omelet to me," said Paige grumpily. She was sitting on her hands to stop herself scratching the rash that patterned her skin like a tapestry. They ignored her.

It didn't take long before the vanquishing potion was finished. Filling three vials, Piper pocketed one, then handed one to Phoebe.

"Um..."

"What?" said Piper grouchily.

"Not to put the pressure on or anything..." said Phoebe hesitantly.

"I don't think any of us are in good enough health to go demon hunting." finished Cole. Piper stared at him. "I'm not going on my own!"

"I'll think you'll have to." Said Leo weakly. He had been dozing in a chair. "I can't orb."

Silence. Piper gaped at him.

"How is she supposed to get there then?" asked Paige anxiously, scratching at a raised bump on her skin. No one said anything. Phoebe turned to Cole and tried to speak, but only a faint croaking came out. "What are you trying to say, Pheebs?" asked Piper anxiously. Phoebe tried to speak again, the sighed in exasperation and pointed at Cole. Cole looked confused, then realization dawned.

"Oh, you want me to take Piper down there?" Phoebe nodded enthusiastically. "Are you up to it?" Leo sounded worried. Cole shrugged. "If we go now, yes." Piper nodded, though she wasn't to sure about the situation. Cole staggered to his feet (With help from Phoebe and Paige), and he grasped Pipers arm. She had time to notice how damp it felt, then everything faded.

The first thing she noticed was the smell. It was fetid rank of something that has been left to rot under the sun. Piper gagged as she and Cole shimmered into a large cave. Piper breathed through her mouth as she looked around. She had been expecting to see the demon, or at least some sign of it. But there was nothing, just a couple of rocks. And the smell, of course. "Cole, where are we?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly nasal. Her nose had rebelled and was beginning to block up. Cole was gasping, his skin a sort of pale yellow. Piper could see him trembling. "You...can't shimmer...into his...cave...This is...the nearest place..." he fell to his knees. Piper knelt beside him, worry gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She patted him awkwardly on the back. He shook her off. "Don't worry about...me...Just go through that opening...follow the smell...Oh, and when you get there, don't...look up."

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's just a bad idea. Go on, hurry. I'm not sure I'll be able to shimmer us back if you don't hurry it up."

"Ok. Ok" Piper stood up and crept through the opening Cole had indicated. It led into a large and equally identical cavern. There was an opening in front of her, but the smell lessened as she walked towards it. The disgusting stench of rotting filth was coming from her left. She turned and looked, but could see no entrances, just an indent in the wall. She strode over for a closer look, and to her surprise found that the indent was actually the start of a corridor. The angle she had been at had prevented her from seeing the rest (A/N- what a stroke of luck). She hurried down it, her eyes beginning to water from the smell. She slipped her hand into the pocket and grasped one of the vials.

The rock corridor turned, and Piper entered a cave, the smell so foul she could barely stand to breathe. Around the walls were cages, filled with the weirdest things she had ever seen, even in a sci-fi movie. The cage closest to her held what looked like a toad. As she stepped forward the toad shot out it's tongue. Normally, Piper would not have cared, except the toad's tongue looked (and sounded, from the angry hissing) like a snake. The snake hissed, and opened it's mouth wide to revel three sharp fangs, the ends a sick looking green. Piper nearly fell backwards, and the snakes' teeth snapped a bare two inches from her leg. She walked in a large radius around the cage, the snake watching her sullenly. Her heart beating hard, she turned and looked in the other cages. A spider as big as a dog sat in one cage, and Piper shivered as it's cold metallic gaze bored into her. She swallowed her fear and revulsion, looking quickly at the other monsters. All were things you would **not **want anywhere near you on a dark night. Then, near the back of the cavern, she saw a glint of yellow. She narrowed her eyes.

It was the wyvern all right. It was sleeping (thankfully), and there was no mistaking that shade of pus yellow. Piper was struck by a sudden and ill timed though: How the hell was she going to get a tooth out? Cursing inwardly, she searched her pockets for anything useful, then came to one conclusion. She was going to have to rip it out.

"Oh this will be fun." She muttered as she knelt beside the cage and reached through the bars, bracing herself inside. She grasped it firmly by the neck. The wyvern woke up, and it didn't look pleased. Squalling, it's screech like nails being drawn across a blackboard, it snapped at her with two sharp fangs. Piper yelped as two teeth sunk into the web of skin between her finger and thumb. After trying and failing for five minutes to rip out a tooth, she gave up and froze it. It did, with a surprised squeak. She reached in and, after tugging hard, managed to rip out one of the wyvern's teeth. It unfroze, and spewed foul smelling yellow fog into her face. She coughed hard, and was reminded forcefully of the Furies' smoke. Still spluttering, she crawled away from the cage and stood up. The little wyvern was screeching as blood poured from it's mouth. She headed for the exit, swearing angrily under her breath, when she heard footsteps clumping from just behind the bend.

Piper froze. Then leapt behind a cage. Unfortunately for her, it was the one with the spider in it. Sweating fiercely, she crouched down, the spiders alarming bulk screening her from view. A demon entered the cavern. Piper bit her lip to stop from yelping. It was grey colored skinned, with eyes like a fish. Teeth jutted upwards from it's mouth, and it had six fingers on each hand. But that wasn't what had alarmed Piper. It was the human leg under its arm. Piper scrambled for the potion in her pocket, getting ready to throw it and run. The demon, however, veered away from her hiding place, to a ladder Piper hadn't noticed before. It hoisted the leg under one arm and began to climb. Piper, forgetting Cole's warning, looked up. Her eyes widened in fear, and she strongly wished she hadn't.

The ceiling of the cavern was held up with wooden beams. On these beams were nails, which were holding up countless body parts. Arms, legs, hands, heads. And they weren't just human. Piper identified a demon claw and a satyr foot before she could rip her eyes away from the hideous sight. Her stomach churned, and she wondered if it was possible to throw up quietly. It was then she decided she had had enough; she was getting out of there, bugger the stupid demon. She readied herself, then lunged towards the exit. The cage she was behind went flying, the spider's shriek like a file being drawn along a bone.

Piper was just through the stone door when an energy ball vaporized the wall above her head, making her hair stand on end and throwing sharp splinters of stone at her face. One sliver sliced open her cheek as she rocketed down the corridor. She burst into the cave, just as another energy ball exploded behind her. Piper twisted as she was running, and threw the vial in her hand. The demon got hit on the arm, and it was ripped off. The demon howled in pain and fury, and Piper made it to the second cave. Cole was sitting against a rock, looking ashen faced. "Cole! Need to go now!" yelped Piper as she ducked an energy ball.

"Why didn't you vanquish it?" Cole asked in annoyance, ducking as the energy ball did an impersonation of the big bang to a boulder next to him. Cole leaped forward and grabbed Piper around the ankle. The world began to fade, and Piper caught a last glance of the bellowing demon-

-Then it was replaced by the kitchen. The sunlight that drifted in through the window was deep orange. It was obviously afternoon. Cole wobbled, then sank to the floor. He was unconscious. Piper sighed; she was sick of looking after people. She pushed him half-heartedly onto his side, then went to check her sisters and husband. A/N- Okay, where's the damn medical dictionary?!?!).

Paige was asleep on her mattress, brown hair fanned across her face. Phoebe was coughing weakly into a handkerchief. She smiled a relieved smile when she saw Piper, and waved sleepily. Leo dozed in a chair. He looked as though he was having a very bad day in the skin department. It was covered in hundreds of pimples. Piper stared at his skin in disbelief. "What the-"

"Smallpox" said Leo shortly. He looked grumpy. Piper reached into her pocket and pulled out the bloodstained tooth. "Look, I got the tooth. I hope you don't get to pimply before I make the potion." Leo looked at her rather coldly. "Very funny".

Piper went to rouse Paige, and tell her the good news. She shook her gently. "Paige Honey, wake up for a sec." Paige didn't stir. Piper shook harder. Still nothing. Piper abruptly had a very bad feeling. "Paige? Paige!" she was practically yelling. Phoebe tried to get up, but collapsed in a fit of coughs. Leo was beside Piper in an instant. He checked Paige's pulse and breathing. "Paige." He called. She slept on.

"She's in a coma."

"What! She can't be in a coma!" Piper was on the verge of panic. Phoebe coughed hard into her handkerchief, a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth. The fist of cloth in her hand was stained red.

Mwaha! There's a chapter. It's longer than usual cause I'm not going to be writing for a week. I'm going on band tour! (I'm third trumpet, which says a hell of a lot about my playing skills.) THEN I'm going on history camp to Canberra. But I promise I'll keep writing. Girls guides honour!


	7. In sickness and in health

Okay, tell you the truth...I was never in the girl guides. And for those who are annoyed because I stopped right before the last chapter, I don't mind if you send me letter bombs (heck, at least I'll get some mail for once)

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Piper swore to herself as she ran to the kitchen, racing for the bowl of half-made potion. She dropped the blood stained tooth in the thick goo like mixture, then leapt back as flame coloured smoke exploded upwards. The mixture boiled, seething as it belched out clouds of ash.

There was a violent crash, and the whole house shuddered on its foundations.

"What the..." Piper left the simmering potion and moved nervously towards the sound, straining to see through the smoke. An energy ball exploded from her left, glancing off her shoulder with a painful sting. Piper gasped in pain, then dropped to the floor as another ball of crackling light rocketed towards her face. It missed her head by an inch, destroying a large section of wall behind her. Bits of plaster showered down as she looked up in panic. It was Wildray. The stump of his arm had healed over, and had begun to regrow. He growled at her menacingly, sharp teeth bared.

"You'll beg for your life soon, witc-" he was cut off by a loud yell. Leo collided with the demon, sending them both crashing to the floor. Piper scrambled up and grabbed one of the vials in her pocket. She threw it wildly.

The demon rolled out of the way, and the delicate glass shattered on the wood floor. Wildray leapt to his feet, grinning wickedly. Piper tried to blow him up, but he just seemed to absorb it. "Run!" croaked Leo from the floor, ashen faced.

Piper hesitated. A hammer punch hit her in the stomach, and she flew back into the wall, head cracking against brick. Wildray laughed.

"I may only have one hand, but I can still beat you into pulp!" He towered over her, claws extended. Piper collapsed to the floor, vision swimming as she fought to remain conscious. A small ball of flame hit the smirking demon on the shoulder, and he whirled around with a surprised snarl.

Cole had braced himself against the wall, face tight with pain. Phoebe was standing upright, though her knees were quivering. An athame hung from her limp hand. The demon faced them, livid. Groggily, Piper grabbed the last vial and threw it at his back. With a horrible shriek he burst into flame, dissolving into a pile of glowing embers that floated gently to the floor. Phoebe dropped the athame and collapsed, coughs wracking her thin frame. Cole slid down to the floor, eyelids drooping.

Piper stood up shakily, wincing as her head throbbed. Her back felt badly bruised, and her left arm hung uselessly by her side. "Leo?" she said in a croaky voice, limping towards her husband.

He was dead white, breath shallow in his chest. He looked at her, eyes clouded. "Pi...Piper..."

"Oh no you don't mister." said Piper fiercely, turning to the potion. It was now a deep royal blue, frost gleaming around the edge of the saucepan. Grabbing a cup, she filled it and jammed it to Leo's lips.

He could barely swallow it, drops of liquid dripping down his chin. Piper watched in awe as the pimples that covered his skin shrunk and disappeared, and colour bloomed in his cheeks. His breathing deepened, and his eyes shone bright. "Whoa" said Cole from the doorway. He was trying to help phoebe, though there was little he could do.

Her face was beginning to go blue, the inside of her mouth dark with blood. It was impossible to know that the red cloth clenched in her hand had once been white. Piper got her some potion, and another was given to Cole. The healing was startlingly swift. Phoebe gasped; her lungs, mouth and nose suddenly clear. Cole looked at his skin, relieved that it had lost its' sallow tinge. Piper took another cup for Paige.

Her sister was still, face pale. Her hand was cool to the touch, and her breathing was almost non existent. Leo knelt beside her, hand glowing. His face was grim.

"She's nearly gone." Piper looked at the cup, then at her comatose sister. "How do we give it to her?" she asked, face creasing in concern. She swayed, feeling suddenly dizzy. Phoebe grabbed her sister when her knees buckled.

"Ow" said Piper vaguely, wondering why the world was spinning. An image floated through her memory.

_An enraged wyvern spurting thick yellow smoke in her face, the heavy fog flowing down her nose and throat… _

"Uh-oh" she muttered to herself.

"What's Wrong? Piper?" Phoebe insisted.

"Wyvern smoked me." she said wearily, wishing the world would stop spinning.

A foul tasting liquid ran down her throat and she sputtered, all dizziness gone. She glared at Leo, who was holding the now empty cup.

"That was uncalled for." she said haughtily.

Cole disappeared, then came back carrying the saucepan. He tipped the dregs into the cup as Leo looked anxiously at Paige.

"Maybe..."

"What?"

"Smear some on her lips."

Piper did so, spreading it like thick blue lipstick. For a second, it seemed as though nothing was happening. Then, the blue began to sink into her skin, fading away. A twitch ran down Paige's right arm, and her eyelids flickered. Piper quickly put on more. This too disappeared.

Paige's eyes snapped open. She looked around wildly, eyes dazed. Leo and Piper helped her sit up.

Paige looked a bit paler than usual, even after she had downed the disgusting liquid. Phoebe and Cole helped her up gingerly.

Piper sighed gratefully as Leo healed her back, wincing slightly as small pieces of plaster popped from her skin.

Inside the kitchen, the embers smoldered. A small, snake like creature sniffed it curiously, before dissolved into a puff of yellow smoke. The wisp drifted gently out the window, leaving only the faintest whiff of sulfur.

Finis

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Is 'finis' just a fancy word for finish, or is it just people leaving the 'H' off… 


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